What Is Vivir Bien?

There have also been significant form of cultural exchange as a result of the new constitution, such as development in the ayllus, many social movements, and the concept of Vivir Bien. These have revealed continuity within the indigenous people as well as consensual change in the process. The reconstruction of ayllus under the Morales administration, for example, greatly showed continuity within the indigenous communities because people were brought back into groups of families for collective work. Although individual farmers were among a population of citizens upset by this change in structure, it did lead to a more conservative way of indigenous living that, as discussed earlier, focuses on collective work and holistic beliefs (Crabtree and
Chaplin 2013:39-40). This restructuring was nonetheless very significant for the indigenous people who had had their land taken from them in the past. It allowed communities to have more access to resources, and also allow them to govern themselves more autonomously (Crabtree and Chaplin 2013:40-41). This enactment of returning indigenous territory was a large part of the Morales administration to give indigenous people back their autonomy.
The concept of Vivir Bien was introduced as an economic indicator that indicates well-being based on the search for harmony, consensus, and governance, rather than looking at statistics of incomes (Farthing and Kohl 2014:99).
This idea off Vivir Bien sought after dismantling discrimination and redistributing the wealth among citizens, and renounced capitalism, imperialist, and otherwise all other colonialist ways of thinking and certainly took a step in the reclaiming of indigenous beliefs and traditions. Although there have been many critics of this idea of “living well” despite the large gap between rich and poor, this concept has managed to stay strong by making advances in health, education, economic development, and social welfare throughout Bolivia (Farthing and Kohl
2014:100).
Additionally, social movements in general have greatly impacted the rise to a pluri-national government in Bolivia, as they were the primary reason Morales was elected in 2005. The social movements in Bolivia prove to be effective because they are militant in nature, and have been since the resistance of Spanish conquistadors in the 16th century. A great deal of these social movements began after the national revolution in 1952 as a push for democracy was spreading the nation due to the Bolivian Workers’ Center (COB) and Federation of Bolivian Miners’ Unions (FSTMB). Over time, neoliberal policies in 1985 led to new movements that took over in the face of dictatorships. Groups such as the Unified Confederation of Campesino Unions of Bolivia (CSUTCB) and the Bartolinas worked throughout the 1980s in restoring democracy to Bolivia as well as fighting for women’s rights (Farthing and Kohl 2014:9). In the 1990’s, a decentralization law allowed a space for grassroots opposition groups to speak their minds and spread the word. An example of the groups that took advantage of this were the coca growers, who were able to elect local mayors and also gain administration experience. This law gave more of a voice to people with left-wing perspectives (Farthing and Kohl 2014:10). By the 21st century, social groups could rally enough momentum to force not one, but two Bolivian presidents to resign, ultimately leading to the rise and election of Morales. The reason these movements were so effective is because they had 500 years of history to back them up, having fought off colonialism for all of these years (Farthing and Kohl 2014:14).
Critique and Conclusion
Due to the overwhelming amount of change that Bolivia has experienced just within the last several decades, it is clear to see that what will come next for the future of this country is quite unpredictable.
The main struggle revolves around the changing political and social movements that push for more equality and power given back to the indigenous people whose families have lived in the region from the start, while the economy is trapped within a neoliberal context where the country may not be able to survive without the extraction of its bountiful resources. Because of these conflicting regions, it is difficult to imagine how political leaders like Evo Morales will continue to move forward. One thing that is clear, however, is neither the traditions of the indigenous people nor the changes brought with colonizers so many years ago can be completely forgotten. With everything that has happened over time, all of these historical and influential elements will need to be considered for the future of Bolivia, as there is no way to completely return to how it once was, only move forward
realistically.
In all, the development of a plurinational government in Bolivia has taken great strides toward reclaiming indigenous rights that have been lost for so many years. This success has come due to a long history of traditional and conservative beliefs, which have continued throughout the indigenous people’s cultures and become reinvigorated in the form of social movements and the election of the first indigenous president in 2005. Despite these advances, however, the country must continually work at reshaping the economy as well if full rights are ever to be granted to the people who originated in the Andean regions. Fortunately, Bolivia has been moving in this direction, and hopefully some day soon, all indigenous people will return to the power and autonomy they once had.